Doppler radar unavailable for a fifth of the last year; Airport Authority boss & Weather Service director deliver conflicting messages about its necessity
What constitutes essential weather monitoring equipment?
It’s not clear if the the CEO of the Bermuda Airport Authority and the Director of the Bermuda Weather Service agree an the answer.
The day before Hurricane Melissa was set to visit at the end of October, BWS’ Philip Rogers said the currently offline Doppler radar is “considered non-essential”.
“We can do the job without it,” he said, “but it does give us more information”.
Conversely, Lester Nelson, CEO of the Bermuda Airport Authority, says the weather radar is “an essential tool for aviation weather and meteorological operations”, adding that it complements other advanced systems used to monitor and forecast weather conditions.
BWS’ Mr Rogers said the radar was operational earlier this hurricane season for the approaches of Humberto and Imelda.
However, Bermuda Broadcasting subsequently learned that the radar has been unavailable for about a fifth of the last year, or a combined total of two-and-a-half months.
Just ahead of Melissa’s approach on October 29, the BAA put out a release acknowledging that the weather radar was once again inoperable, and that it “understands and shares the public’s frustration”.
A replacement part will apparently be coming from Europe towards the end of the year.
Responding to questions from Bermuda Broadcasting, BAA’s Mr Nelson cited “unexpected challenges” with the weather radar in recent years, adding that the German manufacturer has taken longer to resolve some of those challenges than was anticipated.
“We have followed the manufacturer’s guidance”, he says, “and continue to follow this as we move forward with maintenance and repairs of our current system.”
“The system’s availability over the past six years has been approximately 94%, reflecting consistent performance despite recent challenges.”
When we asked about the performance stats for the past two years and the past year, Mr Nelson cited 92% availability between October 2023 and October of this year, and 79% availability from October 2024 and October of this year.
This suggests more problems have arisen over the past twelve months.
On the apparent conflicting comments about the necessity of the weather radar, Mr Nelson subsequently said, “Director Rogers is correct in that BWS continues to have the resources and assets to provide weather forecasts and observations without the Doppler weather radar, which was evident just before and during Hurricane Melissa.”
“Importantly, the weather radar is not essential for aircraft operations to and from Bermuda. Also, the weather radar’s operations are not regulated or mandated.”
“However, it is essential for BAA to achieve optimal performance across all its resources and assets. This is a goal we continue to strive toward.”
Mr Nelson has also said that BAA recognises the weather radar’s popularity and importance to the public and the community, and remain fully committed to its reliable operation.
Questions & responses – Lester Nelson, CEO of the Bermuda Airport Authority
Q: Why has the weather radar been out of service so frequently?
A: There have been some unexpected challenges with the weather radar in recent years; some taking a longer timeframe than anticipated for the German manufacturer to resolve. Our engineering technicians continue to work closely with the manufacturer to identify the root causes of each incident and ensure sustainable solutions. We have followed the manufacturer’s guidance and continue to follow this as we move forward with maintenance and repairs of our current system. The system’s availability over the past six years has been approximately 94% reflecting consistent performance despite recent challenges.
Q: Will the repairs/replacement mentioned in the release mean that the radar will be fully operational without being offline so frequently?
A: We share the public’s frustrations with recent service interruptions and are taking every step to restore full reliability. We are currently waiting for the delivery of parts from the manufacturer, which is taking longer than initially anticipated. Once the parts arrive, our engineering technicians, together with the manufacturer’s specialists will carry out installation and comprehensive testing to confirm system stability and reliability. Until then, we continue to use all available tools to ensure that weather information remains accessible to the public.
Q: Is the weather radar considered an essential piece of equipment?
A: The weather radar is an essential tool for aviation weather and meteorological operations, and it complements other advanced systems used to monitor and forecast weather conditions. We recognize the weather radar’s popularity and importance to the public and the community and remain fully committed to its reliable operation.
Q: I understand the radar is about 20 years old. Are there plans for a replacement or a backup?
A: Significant upgrades to the weather radar were carried out in 2019 and all remaining parts were certified as fit for service by the manufacturer. However, it is important to note that we are proactively evaluating long-term solutions to ensure continuity of the weather radar’s operations. Further updates on these plans will be shared in the upcoming months as discussions progress. We thank the public for their continued patience and understanding as we work to restore full service to the weather radar.
Subsequent questions:
Q: Bermuda Weather Service Director Philip Rogers said the radar is considered “non-essential”, adding that they can do the job without it, although it does provide more information for their work. However, you have said the radar is “an essential tool for aviation weather and meteorological operations”. Can you comment on the apparent conflicting message?
A: Director Rogers is correct in that BWS continues to have the resources and assets to provide weather forecasts and observations without the Doppler weather radar, which was evident just before and during Hurricane Melissa. Importantly, the weather radar is not essential for aircraft operations to and from Bermuda. Also, the weather radar’s operations are not regulated or mandated. However, it is essential for BAA to achieve optimal performance across all its resources and assets. This is a goal we continue to strive toward.
Q: You noted that the radar system’s availability over the past six years has been approximately 94%. Please can you tell us what the radar system’s availability has been over the past two years, and over the past year?
A: The weather radar system’s availability over the past two years from October 2023 to October 2025 = 92%. The weather radar system’s availability over the past year from October 2024 to October 2025 = 79%
